Drip-pan alarm.



G. a. WAID. DBIP PANAL'ARM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26, 1912.

1,123,629. Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

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sur B. Warn, or PEGRAM, Inni-ro.

Specication of Letters ljatent.

Patented J an. 5, 1915.

Application @led January 26, 1812. Serial No. 673,593.

T all lwhomzt may concern:

Be it known that l, GUY R. WMD, citizen of the United States, residing at Pegram, .in the county of Bear Lake and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drip-Pan Alarms, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to alarms for refrigerator drip pans and aims among other things to provide an alarm of this type which may be placed beneath any ordinary refrigerator and will automatically `indicate when the refrigerator pan requires to be emptied and which will be so constructed' that the refrigerator pan may be removed at any time without disturbing the alarm mech- For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the alarm embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view .from front to rear on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

. apparatus is indicated by the numeral 1 and is secured upon a base 2 upon which the refrigerator pan is designed to be disposed, the said pan being indicated by the numeral 3 and, when in place, being disposed against one side of the casing 1 and against guide pins 3 which project up from the base 2 at the rear thereof.

The alarm circuit includes batteries which are indicated by the numeral l and are arranged within the casing 1 and also includes a signal, preferably an ordinary buzzer indicated by the numeral A switch 6 includes a pivot post 7 and a Contact 8 is an4 ranged upon the front wall of the casing 1 and has leading from it a conductor wire 9 which connects with one binding post of the buzzer. A wire 10 connects the pivot post of the switch and one pole of the battery,

, the other pole of the battery being connected by a wire 11 with one of a pair of spaced .contacts which are mounted upon that wall -of the casing next to the refrigerator pan 3 when the latter is in place on the base 2.

The contacts above mentioned are indicated by the numeral 12 and may be of any desired form although they are preferably .of resilient sheet metal and are mounted upon opposite sides of a block 13 of insulation secured upon the said wall of the casing 1.v A wire 14 connects the other one of the contacts 12 and the binding post of the buzzer 5.

A circuit closing arm indicated by the numeral 15 is pivotally supported as at 16 within the casing 1 and has an extension 17 projecting laterally through a slot 18 formed in that wall of the casing 1 which is next to the refrigerator pan. The arm 15 has its extension 17 twisted as at 19 whereby to provide a fiat terminal portion 20. The lower end of the arm 15 is located directly opposite the space between the contacts 12 and,l when the extension 17 of the arm is swung up, under conditions to be presently explained, the said lower end of the arm 15 is designed to be positioned between the contacts 12 thereby bridging these contacts A spring 21 is connected to the wall of the casing 1 and to the extension 17' and normally holds the arm 15 with its lower end out of position to bridge the contacts 12. An arm 22 is pivoted as at 23 at one end to one side of the refrigerator pan 3 and this arm carries at its free end a float 2-1 designed to rest upon the surface of the water in the drip pan.- rlhe arm 22 is formed or provided with a post 25 into which is adjustably threaded an abutment screw 26 having 'thereon a jam nut 27 designed to hold it at adjustment. The head of the screw 26 bears against the under side of the terminal portion 2O of the extension 17 and as the oat 24 rises in the drip pan, the eX- tension 17 will be swung upwardly until the lower end of the arm 15 is in position between the contacts 12, whereupon the person using the device will be warned that the refrigerator pan requires to be emptied. A`t this point it will be readily understood that the pan 3 may be readily removed and emptied at any time without disturbing the alarm mechanism, and it will also be understood that when the pan is removed the spring 21 will act to swing the extension of the arm 15 downwardly, thereby moving the arm out of position to bridge the contacts 12, thereby breaking the circuit.

By adjusting the screw 26 in the post 25,

the device 'maybe adapted -to give the proper alarm at practically any desired water level'.

Having thus described the invention what switch arm for said alarm, adjustable means carried by said iioat arm for engagement v with said switch arm, and separate means normally holding said switch arm in open circuit position.

2. In a signal device of the character described, a base, guide stops Vcarried thereby, a drip pan normally arranged between said guide stops and removable from said base, a casing secured at one end of said base, an electrically controlled alarm arranged in said casing, a pivote'd switch arm for said alarm, means for normally holding said switch arm in opencircuit position, 'a pivoted ioat arm arranged, in said drip pan, adjustable means carried by said -float arm for engagement with said switch arm, and a float upon said ioat arm. 3. In a signal device of the character described, a base, a drip pan removable from said base, a casing secured to one end of said baise, an electrically controlled alarm arranged in-'said casing, a pivoted switch arm for said alarm having its terminal arranged exteriorly of said casing, a yieldable element arranged interiorly of said casing and acting to Vnormally hold-said switch arm nally pivoted tothe drip pan, a float carried` at the free' end of the arm, an adjustable means on the iioat-arm engaging the switch arm, said means being disposed in operative relation to the switch-arm when `the drip pan is placed on the base between the guide stops and in abutment with the casing.

In testimony ture in presence of two witnesses.`

. GUY R. WAID. [L s Witnesses: Y

HENRY S. TENGVALL, JOHN H. BACHMAN.

Copies ot this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, 1D. 0.

whereof, I aiix my signal, 

